Lpg Terminal Liability

So the LNG power plant is to go ahead to protect us when the renewables run low. The government must be satisfied the business case stacks up because that's what they said they would look at. At the same time, the government will be cracking down on power companies over dry year shortages. Fines for failing to secure enough backup electricity could jump from two million dollars to as much as ten million dollars or ten percent of turnover. That's a hefty fine. The electricity authority will also get stronger powers to monitor supply risks. And Simeon Brown says New Zealand's renewable boom still needs reliable backup when hydro lakes are low and wind and solar can't meet demand. And he argues that LNG is the fastest and most practical short-term solution to avoid blackouts and soaring prices and business shutdowns during dry years. But of course, the fly in the ointment is who's going to pay for it. The government certainly doesn't want to. They've scrapped plans for a levy on power bills to fund the billion dollar terminal. People were saying that would become a gas tax for consumers, and we do know that this government does not want to be associated with tax. So Simeon Brown says the electricity sector will instead help fund the project, with two companies now shortlisted to build it. And there's the rub. If it's a gen tailor, if the gen tailors foot the bill, they're the electricity sector. So if the gen tailors foot the bill, how can the government prevent them from passing on the cost? It's the same pickle they got into with the levy on banks. Nicola Willis was adamant that the banks would not pass the costs on to New Zealanders. But when pressed in an interview on QA, uh she couldn't give a reason why they wouldn't pass it on, other than the goodness of their hearts.